The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-11

| toward the shoulder, but they may be wound on
| before, with or after the thread. Care must be
| taken that the turns at the bend be firm, and
| when the material is carried back. the body Is
finished with couple of turns of the SILK;
| hackle is then introduced under them and firm
| ly secured. Wind the hackle around ths hook
| at the place where it is inserted. and when it is
| sufficiently thick and the fbres which constitute
| the legs stand out we'll, tie it down. Prepare
your wings by stripping off the requisite mum Der
of bres and tie til either single or divided,
and finish off Your fly is then complete.
Until recent years the best fly tying was done
/ in England but now you can get them cheaper
and better made at home dealers in fishing tackle.
| There are a thousand different names for the
| various flies turned out of Eastern mannfac-
| tories-in fact dozen names, sometimes, for
| the same fly. The kind used with most success
| in White river and other streams in this State
are the palmers, the grey and white mlllers, scar
| let ibis, Lord Baltimore. grizzly king, coach
| man. and the various hackles. name that can
be used for almost any fly. Bucktails are used
extensively in the northern part of the State,
and with greater success than any other lure
They are made much in the same way as the
regulation fly, but with piece of deer hide In
stead of feathers. They are really imitation
of nothing that l have ever seen, except per-
haps. the large hairy caterpiller that you see in
the spring and early summer. While hsblng In
Sugar creek, Parke county. few years ago, L
noticed frequent swirl in the water under
leaning sycamore, and. knowing it must come
from a surface-feeding fish, stealthilv crept to
point where / could get better observation.
The wind was blowing down the river in slight
pufs, just strong enough to rustic the leaves of
these large caterplars. They would hardly
touch the surface before the bass had taken
Them aud l wanted bass put on a small
bucktail that had in my book. My first cast
landed six-nch one. which cut open and
found at least dozen of the caterplllars In It's
stomach-a number that its size did not war
rant. Perhaps the lake bass mistake the buck
tail for a huge moth, but there can be no DOUBT
that they rise to it more readily that to any
other fly. if skillfully cast. The scarlet ibis
resem bles fly in this country, but have often
found it to be the most deceptive and killing.
This is contrary to the usual rule. Many hsh-
ermen contend. however that it isn't the color
or shape of the fly much as it is the manner
in which it is cast that deceives the fish This,
ir q large measure, is true. You will often see
fish rise to floating leaf, sometimes with rush
if it mistook it for thing of food, and at
other times with caution and hesitancy as II
it expected to find large fat grub or fly resting
Oh top In the early spring the maple bud Is or
a bright red. and it may be that fish rise to the
scarlet ibis fly in mistake for it, or the numerous
red-colored leaves of the fall months
''You don't want a ouadruple- multiplying reel
for your fy-rod. 1t runs too stiff and heavy A
common one with stop is best. and runs the
freest. Get one that is made of German silver
and has steel bearings for the shaft and it will
last you a lifetime good silk-gut leader,
from five to twelve feet long, is necessary ard
this you either make yourself or buy COM
pete. 1t is attached to the end Of your line and
is of the utmost Importance in that 1t Is coloress
in the water and helps to add to the deceptful-
ness of your flies as they fall on the water. be-
sides affordng strong place for tying on the
short piece of gut attached to your hooks.
Many casters prefer using three flies to their
leader. but this 1 think too many. II three fish
hooked at one time it would be an almost
impossible feat to land them. l find two the
most desirable, and if the fish capricious,
have them of different colors When three are
used the at the end is called the stretcher,
the second one. the dropper, and the one
nearest the line, the bob. or hind one IL the
cast consists of two they are called simply the
stretcher and dropper A good tapered silk line
is a necessary part OF the fly fishermans outfit
and this. with the rod. the reel, parchment
fiy-book, and six eight dozen flies, makes
quite a hole in the pocket-book."
Fly-fshng has steadily grown in favor among
local sportsmen until now there is talk Of form
ing fl fishing club. Those who are agitating
the su bject claim that it will be of ncalculable
benefit to the members, and that it will give
them opportunity of comparing notes with
flies, the kind of day which certain makes
should be used, the condition of the water, and
other little things that are worth knowing. 1t
Is proposed to hold q sort OF experience meeting
each week, at which the member will be expec-
ted TO confne themselves strictly to the truth.
No 'ish" stories. in the usual meaning of the
term, will be tolerated This feature will for
ever be banished to the realms Of the bait-fsher,
where it properly belongs.
Among the projectors OF this new club is Col.
Charles Mllard. president of the car-works, who.
Doctor Henshall says casts one of the prettiest
flies he saw. The Colonel uses Murphy
split BAN boo rod, weighing six and threequar-
tiers ounces. with which he easily casts seventy
five feet. He has also, among his larger assor t.
ment of rods a three and three-quarters ounce
that is used In his pgrlmRReS after trout
Congressman Bynum is also enthusiastic
fisherman, but doesn't seem to appreciate his
own ability to make pretty cast His friends
pay him O high compliment and say that he han
dies his rod in such an easy, graceful way that
it is a pleasure to watch him.
Harry Diehlis another expert and enthusiastic
disciple of the art, and makes some wonderful
casts with his eight-ounce B. f. Nichols rod.
Ora Pearson, although not doing much with
the fly now. was one of the first TO introduce the
art in this city.
Alex. Jameson is another expert who has cast
the fly with more less success for twenty
years He finds trouble in landing his
stretcher sixty or seventy feot away. He has
apt pupil in his Malcolm, who handles his
rod fully we'll as his father.
DIR. Henry Jameson uses six ard threequar-
ter ounce split bamboo, Nichols, and while not
making any pretensions, is noted for the deicacy
of his casts.
Ignatius Brown has been fishing all his life.
and is full of the subject that it isn't safe to
say 'iish" within his hearing. He is of |
those enthusiasts who makes his own rods, flies |
and leaders. His latest hobby is Bethabara
rod, made by nis own skill. but which has met |
with much misfortune since its inception that |
he has named it Sorrow"
Mahlon D. Butler (cedar-rod Butler) has a |
hobby. He is firm believer that rod in
istence compare to the red cedar for fly-rods,
tips and all. He makes them himself and proves |
finest bass in White river. His rods are mar
wells of workmanship and show him to be an
adept in wood
Gen. Geo. F. McGinnis never loses an oppor-
tunty to try his hand at decavng the bass along
Fall creek and casts his scarlet ibis white miller
and brown palmer This choicel with better sue
cess than many younger men,
Julius Walk is also devoted to 1y-ishing. On
= recent trip to New Brunswick he landed a
fve-pound speckled trout and a nine-pound
salmon.
Richard Boyd, II. H McGaffey, H. R. Der
ing, Joe Sherwood, Phander Fitzgerald,
Frank Holiday, DIR. p. g. C. Hunt. Or. Hacker,
Dr. Parsons Robert Douglass. W. A. Rhodes.
and George and William Griffin, are also among
those who have progressed beyond ait-fshing
They are all expert casters who love to spend a
ley on the water, whether rewarded with
cess not.
Major Arnold, of the arsenal, while here. was
faithful fisher with the fly, although he allowed
his to particular kind of black club
hat grew to perfection in the classic waters of
Pogue's run, their home. The writer has
seen the Major casting hour after hour without
rise, below the dam at Broad Ripple, while
h. hanr